Reis found the gathering square exactly as he had left it, crowded with the same sounds and faces.
Some moved with calm routine, speaking, exchanging information, or reviewing their data as if it were part of a familiar daily ritual.
Those who had grown accustomed to the tower's endless cycle spoke with false confidence, as though they knew everything.
Reis paid no attention to anyone. He walked among them in silence, his steps steady, his face devoid of emotion.
He lifted his head slightly and thought about the system.
In an instant, the familiar screen appeared, unchanged since his first attempt within the tower.
Glowing blue letters emerged, accompanied by a metallic voice that greeted him with cold indifference, as if he were just another number in an endless list.
[Welcome back, player, to Arcanos].
Reis did not respond. He said calmly, his tone dry: "Statistics".
The next screen opened before him. The sequence of numbers looked familiar, yet he paused for a moment as he examined them.
[Name: Zereis Van Valeria].
[Age: 15].
[Class: Beginner Player].
[Level: 4].
[Physical Strength: 12].
[Spiritual Strength: 13].
[Abilities: {Minor Healing Spell (+30 Energy) + Iron Will}].
[Unique Ability: Ability Replicator ~ Level 0/5].
[Energy: 100/100].
[Health: 100/100].
[Equipment: Short Dagger + Rusted Sword + Golden Guardian Shield].
[Currency: 6286].
[Soul Stone Shards: 2].
He spoke to himself quietly as he studied the numbers before him with steady composure.
"A slight improvement.. but it's enough for now. As long as I keep moving forward, even by a single step, it means I'm heading in the right direction".
He knew that every number represented hours of pain. Yet the path ahead remained long.
Both his physical and spiritual strength had risen slightly.
But the most important thing was that his unique ability had begun to take shape.
"The Replicator", The name alone was enough to make any opponent hesitate.
He recalled the abilities he intended to obtain, an idea he had shared with no one, one that could shift the balance of power within the entire tower.
He opened the global ranking screen.
[Dark Ashes ~ Global Rank: 5,678,987,766].
[Popularity: 130,000].
[Floors Cleared: 01].
[Achievements: Breaker of the Beginner's Nightmare + Conqueror of the First Floor SS].
[Clan: None].
Reis smiled faintly, his tone laced with quiet irony:
"Five billion.. still at the bottom".
He closed the screen and lifted his gaze toward the gray horizon surrounding the gathering square. Then he spoke coolly as he considered his next step.
"Enter the second floor".
The moment he spoke, black smoke rose from beneath his feet, swirling around his body like a vortex before pulling him forcefully into nothingness.
He found himself standing in an endless void.
Everything around him was still.
The ground beneath his feet resembled water, rippling and shifting, while enormous drops of blue liquid floated through the air in slow, majestic motion.
Three glowing orbs drifted toward him, circling as though urging him to choose.
One gleamed with a deep crimson hue, the color of dried blood, while the other two shimmered with a calm, familiar blue.
The system returned, its metallic voice slicing through the silence.
[Welcome, player, to your second attempt within the tower].
[Select a world to enter].
Reis knew exactly what he was doing.
The deadly world showed no mercy, and his decision to immerse himself in it for a second time would be his last. If he fell there, he would never return.
He extended his hand and touched the red orb.
[Selected World: The Hunger Games].
[A world governed by the laws of blood, where mercy does not exist and survival is purchased through pain. Loyalty is measured by how deep a knife can hide in the back.
Every step is a gamble, every ally temporary, and every promise spoken over someone's ruins. Here, not only the strongest or the cleverest survive, but those who can smile while sinking their fangs into the heart of the game].
Reis smiled faintly and murmured to himself:
"A world fit for those who wish to remember the meaning of survival".
The system appeared once more, its tone colder than ever. Even the words seemed to carry the scent of blood.
[Objectives]:
[Survive until the end. There is no mercy and no lasting alliances. Anyone around you can become your enemy in the next moment].
[Obtain the Victory Shard, an invisible fragment granted only to the one who defeats the final opponent in the arena].
[Prevent any other player from winning, even if you must destroy the arena itself. Failure means your name will be erased from the game forever].
[Survive the Blood Harvest Trial, the first three hours after entry, where players are scattered randomly without equipment, and open hunting begins until only half remain].
[Secure control of at least one zone. Each zone you claim increases your ranking and doubles your survival odds, but also draws attention to you].
[Rewards are granted based on achievements, the number of lives you take, and your control over the flow of the game].
Reis did not comment. He turned toward the first blue orb, the one representing the safe world, and touched it gently. A new screen appeared.
[Safe World: Metro 2033].
[A world buried beneath nuclear wars and endless darkness, where deep tunnels have become humanity's final refuge. Sunlight exists only in forgotten tales, and the air above the surface means certain death].
[Objectives].
[Deliver the leadership's message to Station D6 through a broken network of tunnels filled with mutated creatures].
[Keep the transmitter operational until arrival. Without it, all data will be lost and the exit gates will remain sealed].
[Survive the radiation storm that strikes every seven hours within the deep tunnels].
[Avoid contact with mutated survivors or any non-human entities, for many have lost their humanity entirely].
[Rewards: Various mana based enhancements chosen upon exit, ranging from physical reinforcement to spiritual awareness or defensive resistance, their value depending on execution accuracy].
Then Reis touched the second blue orb, and a third screen emerged.
[Safe World: Dead Space].
[A massive space station adrift in a deserted orbit, spinning slowly in the frozen void. Its lights are dim, its systems nearly dead, and silence fills its vast corridors.
Only the faint hum of ancient machinery continues its mechanical rhythm, pulsing with static whispers that suggest something still moves within its depths].
[Objectives]:
[Restart the station's primary generator and restore power gradually without damaging the central system].
[Inspect the life-support units and ensure internal stability before full reactivation].
[Collect scattered data modules throughout the station and analyze the remaining logs].
[Send a complete maintenance report to the main hub outside orbit before the operation timer expires].
[Reward: A rare upgrade module that can be merged with any tool or weapon to enhance its performance, along with an optional reward granting limited technical control over automated systems in future worlds].
Reis stepped back slightly, studying the three choices in silence before speaking without hesitation.
"The deadly world".
Black smoke rose once again, swirling from his feet until it covered his entire face. And just before his voice vanished, he whispered coldly:
"The Hunger Games.. let's see who ends up feeding on whom first".
Then he was gone.
And silence followed.